Automobile-lock.



C. E. FUBGASON.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..20.1914.

1,1 1 3,980. Patented 0011.20, 19M

2 BHBET8-SHBET 1.

W I TNESSES: (fim kl M BY GJRMQW ATTORNEY.

G. B. FURGASON. AUTOMOBILE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED mumo. 1914,.

INVEN OR. (if W JM L Mn M ATTORNEY.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

UNITED s'razrns PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE E. FURGASON, LANSING, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2o, 1914.

Application filed March 20, 1914. Serial No. 826,072.

biles and the like, and is more especially adapted to that type of automobile that employs a sliding gear transmission, or any similardevice in which the transmission is controlled by bars moving parallel to each other, and its purpose is to furnish a secure and readily operated means of locking such bars in an inoperath-e'position, and of readily releasing them when desired. I attain these purposes by the means shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my device, the operating rod and knob being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail to illustrate the method of securing the device in position, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the tumblers.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the main casting or body of my device. This part may be of any size and shape adapted for convenient securing to the frame of the au tomobile, in such manner as to bring the other parts of the device in proper position for operation. Manifestly, it will vary with the particular style of automobile and the arrangement of the parts with reference to each other.

The main body 1 is rovided with two openings 2, which inv this case are shown as round, but which 'inay be of any suitable size or shape adapted to fit the transmission operating bars 3 of the automobile, which slide closely but freely through them. The body 1 is also provided with bolt openings 4. These openings, as already stated .in regard to the body, will vary in their position, arran ement, number and size according to the Frame to which they are to be attached; also other means that will readily suggest themselves may be employed. A casting 5 is removably secured to the upper surface of the body 1 by screws 31. These screws, as shown in Fig. 2, are so placed with reference tothe bars 3, that they cannot be either removed or inserted while the bars 3 are in position in the openings 2. The castings 1 and 5-are pierced with a longitudinally extendingopening 6, adapted to 28- ceive the locking plug 7 and operating bar 8, the various parts of the opening being formed of suitable-size to permit the plug and bar to slide freely. The opening 6 is contracted at its lower extremity 9, so as to prevent the plug 7 from beinginserted too far so as to release the lock. NOtChBS IO are formed in the adjacent sides of the belief so as to be directly opposite each other when the bars are in the position in which it is desired to lock them, preferably when in, what 15 known as neutral position.

These notches are formed to fit the plug 7 in such manner that when the plug 7 is pushed between the bars 3, as shown in Fig. 1, it will engage with these notches and effectually prevent any longitudinal. motion of the bars 6 and it will, therefore, be impossible to bring the gears of the transmission into engagement with each other. A cavity 11 is formed in the base of the east ing 5 and is closed below by a stationary disk 12. In this cavityis inserted, so as to be freely revoluble, a plurality of tumblers 13. Fig 3. They are provided at their outside edges with a plurality of depressions 14, adapted to engage with *ball detents 15, which are pressed against the outer edges of the tumblers by springs 16, inserted in openings formed in the casting 5.. Tension is given to the springs by screws 17. The springs and balls are so adjusted as to retain the tumblers in any position to which they may be turned, unless intentionally revolved in the manner hereinafter described.

Each of the tumblers 13 is provided with :1 plurality of openings 18. A. pin 19 is inserted into one'opening in each ofthe upper and lower tumblers, and two openings in the middle tumblers. In the present case thi ee tumblers are shown, but it is manifest any number desired may be employed without departing from my invention. In the upper tumbler the pin projects downward; in the lowest tumbler, upward, and in the intermediate tumblers, one pin projects downward and one,upward, as shown in Fig. 1. A notch 20 is formed in each of the tumblers 13 and in the stationary disk 12, and the depressions 14, the openings 18 and the notch 20 are so placed with reference to each other that when the tumblers are properly adjusted in the manner hereafter be described the notches 20 in the tlniiblers'will be in line with each other, as

These tumblers are shown in plan in shown in Fig. 1, or, in other words, the central line of the notch 20, one of the openings 18, and one of the depressions 14:, will be exactly in line with each other, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawing grooves 21 are shown in the various tumblers. The pins 19 project into these grooves so as to engage with each other in the operation of the look, as will be hereafter described. An operating knob 22 is secured to the upper end of the bar 8 and is preferably provided with graduations corresponding to the depressions 14 inthe tumblers 13. 23 is the floor of the automobile and is provided with a plate 24, through which passes the bar 8. The graduations 25 may be numbered or distinguished.

in any desired manner. A key 26 is securely attached to the bar 8 in such position that when the plug 7 is withdrawn from engagement with the transmission bar 3 the ke 26 will engage with the notches 20 in all 0 the tumblers 13. The key 26 is of such length that when the bar 8 is pushed to its lowest position the upper extremity of the key will be just below the stationary disk- 12, and when it? is completely withdrawn to unlock ing position, the lower extremity of the key 26 will be just above the stationary disk 12. By this construction it is evident that when in either the unlocked or the locked position the knob 22 may be readilyjurned in either direction, but when partially withdrawn it cannot be turned, since the key 26 will then be in engagement with the notch in the stationary disk 12.

If desired, a pin 27 may be inserted in the bar 8, to limit the downward motion of the bar if for any reason it is not convenientto do so by reducing the size of the opening 6, as shown at 9 in Fig. 1.

If it is desired, not only to prevent the operation of the transmission, butto prevent the starting of the engine itself, a binding post 28, provided with a contact 29, and insulated by insulation 30 from the body 1, may be introduced into the magneto or generator circuit so that when the plug? is in its locked position it will engage with the contact 29, as shown-in Fig. 1, and short circuit the generator or magneto, thus preventing the starting of the engine in a manner well known to those familiar with the art, and which needs no further illustration or description.

In securing .my device to the automobile, the casting 5 is first secured to the body 1 by the screws 31, as shown in Fig. 2. The entire device is then placed on the bars 3 in proper position for convenient manipulation. Ordinarily, it will be so placed that the bar 8 will extend up through the floor of the automobile, as shown in Fig. 1, the knob 22 resting close to the floor. But it is evident that this arrangement will be subject to great variation to adapt the device todifferent types of automobiles, and the form, arrangement or position of the diflerent parts with relation to each other form no part of my invention, and may be modified to suit requirements without departing from it.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When it is desired to lock the automobile,

the bars 3 are placed in such position that tho notches 10 are opposite to each other. The knob 22 is then turned, carrying with .it the tumbler 13, until the key 26 engages with the notch 20 in the stationary disk 12. The bar 8 is then pushed down until the plug 7 engages with the notches in the bars 3. The key 28 will then be entirely below the stationary disk, as shown in Fig. 1, and the knob 22 may be turned to complete the locking and displace the tumblers. As already stated, when in this position the knob 22 may be turned in either direction with perfect freedom, but cannot be withdrawn if it has been moved after being pushed downward, since the upper extremity of the k'ey 26 will as soon as it is revolve-d from its first position, engage with the under side of the stationary disk v12 and'prevent withdrawal. If, in the attempt to unlock it after the knob has been revolved from its original position, the knob 22 is revolved to the point where the key 26 will engage with the notch 20 in the stationary disk, still the device cannot be unlocked, for no further revolution is possible, and the notches 20 in the tumblers above, will not be in line, having been thrown out by the revolution of the knob at the time of locking, and the knob cannot be revolved with the plug 7 in a partially withdrawn position for the reason already stated.

l/Vhen the device is locked, the pin 32, which is inserted in the bar 8 will be in engagement with the notch 20 in the upper tumbler 13. It, therefore, the knob 22 is revolved, it will carry with it this tumbler, and when a predetermined position is reached, depending upon the relative positions of the upwardly projecting pin in the second tumbler 13, and the downwardly projecting pin in the upper tumbler, these two pins will engage with each other and, on continuing to revolve the knob 22, it will carry with it the upper tumblers 13. In the same way a point will be reached where the I in line with the notch 20 in the stationary disk. The direction of motionis then-,re-.

versed in the manner common with combination locks, until the notch 20 in the next tumbler is brought into line, and so on until all the notches 20 in the tumblers are brought into line with the notch 20 in the stationary disk. The plug 7 can then be withdrawn and the device is then unlocked. \Vhen so unlocked it may be kept from accidentally locking by a turn of the knob 22. The exact combination necessary to open the lock is, of course, only known to the owner of the device and may be changed at any time by changing the position of the pins 19 in the tumblers, and the ILziTlbQI' of combinations is practically unlimited.

As already stated, and as shown in Fig. 2, the screws 31 are so placed that it is impossible to remove them when the bars 3 are in position; but it is also evident that when the device is locked, the bars 3 cannot be removed. It is therefore, impossible to re move the device. or to release the lock in any other manner than by opening the combination, without its'complete destruction, since the only Way to do so Without such destruction would be to remove the casting 5, and thus release the tumblers, but this cannot be done when the device is locked.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body provided with openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shifting rods of an automobile, and a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods.

2. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body provided with openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shift ing rods of an automobile; a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods, and means for operating said bolt.

3. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body providedwith openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shift ing rods of an automobile; a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods; means for operating said bolt, and means for locking said bolt in position.

4. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body provided with openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shifting rods of an automobile; a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods; means for operating said bolt, and a lock for looking said bolt in position.

5. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body adapted to be attached to an automobile frame, and provided with openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shifting rods of an automobile; a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods; means for operating said bolt, and a combination lock for locking said bolt in position. I

6. The combination in an automobile lock, of a main body adapted to be attached to an automobile frame, and provided with openings adapted to slidably receive the gear shiftin rods of an automobile; a bolt adapted to simultaneously engage with notches formed in said gear shifting rods; a rod slidably and revolubly mounted in said main body and operatively connected to said bolt, and a combination lock for locking said rod against longitudinal motion.

CLAUDE E. FURGASON.

\Vitnesses:

H. L. LAWRENCE, MINETTE VAN DEUSEN.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtalned for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

